aem

How to Simplify AEM UI Developing

Evgeniy Fitsner Software Engineer
2 min read
How to Simplify AEM UI Developing

In Adobe Experience Manager, synchronizing content between local instances and development environments is a frequent necessity. There are several approaches:

  1. Deploy content bundles via Maven with each refresh
  2. Use IDEs with built-in sync functionality (Eclipse with Sling IDE plugin, Brackets)
  3. Leverage Jackrabbit FileVault (VLT) for JCR repository-to-filesystem mapping

This guide covers option 3.

Step 1: Install VLT

Obtain the VLT command-line client from your AEM installation at crx-quickstart/opt/filevault (available in tgz and zip formats), or compile from source. Add it to your system PATH and verify:

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vlt --help

Step 2: Install VLT Service

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vlt --credentials admin:admin sync --uri http://localhost:4502/crx install

If already installed, use --force to update:

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vlt --credentials admin:admin sync --uri http://localhost:4502/crx install --force

Step 3: Register Content Folder

Navigate to your content’s JCR_ROOT folder and register it for synchronization:

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vlt --credentials admin:admin sync --uri http://localhost:4502/crx/server/-/jcr:root register

Step 4: Automatic Synchronization

All content modifications from your development environment automatically sync with OAK.

Step 5: Verify Status

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vlt --credentials admin:admin sync --uri http://localhost:4502/crx status

Expected output confirms synchronization is enabled and active.